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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · racket · mouse · prune · bass · ground · scale · root

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. scale — in music
  4. toast — bread
  5. scale — size or range
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ground — the earth
  12. root — of a word
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bass — the fish
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. root — the cause
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bass — low music
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com